Walking by A Dream
by Demelza
Summary: Set after the 2nd episode of season 3, Olivia and Elliot's working relationship takes a turn for the worse. (pt 3 of 3 uploaded) TW x-over
1. Part One

**Title:** Walking by A Dream (1/3)  
**Author:** Demelza  
**Email:** demelza81@yahoo.co.nz  
**Disclaimer:** Special Victims Unit and Third Watch belong to NBC and their other owners. No infringements of these copyrights are intended, and are used here without permission. All original characters are the author's creation, and may be freely used.  
**Category: ** Olivia/Elliot, Bosco/Faith...shipperness, angst, shipperness, angst..etc,.  
**Rating:** R  
**Warnings:** Deals with child abuse and rape. Violence and some language.  
**Author's Notes:** This is my first ever SVU FanFic! Set directly after the second episode of the Third Season of the show.  
**Author's Notes #2:** This story is actually a crossover with Special Victims Unit AND Third Watch, I decided to write it after as above mentioned Season Three episode of SVU. This story is set a few days after the events of that episode (and its tearjerker ending). Working as best I can with the Third Watch side of things, this story is set just after the episode 'Childhood Memories' (this isn't quite accurate, I know, but that's what I've decided to write it after). Spoilers up to and including these episodes. ALL events AFTER these episodes never happened in this fic. =) 

Detective Olivia Benson sat on her sofa, the lone tear forming in the corner of her right eye as the day flashed in her mind all over again. Then came the thumping on her apartment door, followed quickly by the shrill ringing of her phone. She knew it was Elliot as that tear rolled slowly down her cheek and she stared across at her apartment door. She felt numb all over, knowing he was there, knowing he wanted to see her, but as the phone stopped ringing and the thumping on the door stopped she felt a soft sob creep up and she closed her eyes, forcing out more tears.

It wasn't nearly bad enough that the FBI wanted Captain Cragen to assign her to desk duty until the investigation into the three murders was over. Or that Eric Plummer, the guy she'd had locked up seven years ago, had killed three victims connected to her, as well as the father of the young boy who was murdered. No, that wasn't enough, it could never be enough, not when her partner turned on her and ordered a protective detail. She didn't need the detail, nor want it. But that was Elliot Stabler, thinking he knew best, thinking that she couldn't take care of herself. And why? That was the question roaming through her mind, why couldn't he trust her? _Not when I trust him with my life..._ she silently cried, another tear rolling down her cheek.

* * * * * *

**Four days later  
Special Victims Unit  
16th Precinct, NYC**

After taking the mandatory four days leave from work, Olivia walked through the doors to the Special Victims Unit, instantly greeted by Detective John Munch. "Hey, look who's back!" he smiled over at her.

She forced a smile in his direction, "Hi guys," she said back, looking between him and his partner, Odafin 'Fin' Tutuola. 

With the 'welcome back' greeting from them both and Captain Cragen finished, she quickly gazed around the room, searching for her partner, only she couldn't see him in sight anywhere. After heading over to her locker at the base of the staircase, she unlocked her locker and pulled it open, simultaneously removing her red scarf then placed it inside. She paused briefly, her reflection showing in the mirror sitting at the back of her locker. Her deep brown eyes reflected the tiredness she felt, her auburn hair with light brown tints looking limp, had she really withdrawn as much as her appearance gave way? She shook her head slightly, her eyes falling to a hand-written note from Elliot attached to the edge of the top shelf.

_I'm sorry Olivia._

_ You were right, I should have trusted you._

Closing her eyes tightly, her mind flashed to the moments after she'd pulled the trigger on Plummer. He fell to the ground, landing on his back and her lip begun quivering as the realization hit her that she'd killed him. The next thing she knew, Elliot's hands were over hers, taking the gun from her.

_'Olivia...it's okay...it's okay...it's okay... Elliot whispered to her, gently lowering her hands and taking her gun from her as she stared down at Plummer's lifeless form._

_'It wasn't loaded,' the special unit officer said, checking Plummer's weapon._

_Olivia stared at him in disbelief, Plummer had said his gun wasn't loaded, but she still shot him, thinking for sure the gun was and he was going to harm the woman that he held in his arms, threatening to kill._

_There was a long silence as she swallowed, hearing Elliot's voice interrupt her thoughts. 'Let's go.'  
_

_"I gotta give my statement...' she said back. _

_'I'll take it,' he told her, putting his arm around her to help her walk out._

_But she pulled away from him, 'You leave me alone,' she told him, voice straining as she took off._

Her eyes painfully opened and she crumpled the note up in her hand.

After closing her locker, she turned around, then headed over to her and Elliot's joined desks and quickly removed her jacket before sitting down on her chair. She sat at the desk for the next half-hour or more working on one of her older cases, she was almost finished with it when her partner finally came through the squad doors, headed straight for their desks. She felt herself involuntarily cringing as he angrily removed his dark grey overcoat and tossed it over the back of his chair, slumping heavily into his seat seconds later.

Neither of them said anything to the other for the next couple of hours as they silently worked, but Olivia couldn't find it in her to really give a damn that something was bugging her partner. Instead, she buried herself further into her work. That was, until Elliot let out a long, angered sigh, following by him sweeping the work away from in front of him angrily, all of the papers landing on the ground in a mess. "Damnit!" he cursed, and she instantly looked up at him, frown stitched on her brow as she saw the anger in his blue eyes.

There was a brief moment as their eyes met, Captain Cragen appearing in the doorway of his office, his attention drawn to the two officers.

Olivia was the first to look away, eyes dropping to the report in front of her, while Elliot pushed his chair backward and knelt down on the hardwood floor as he started scooping up the paperwork that had gone everywhere.

Feeling guilt rush over her, she let out a sigh, got up from her chair and walked around to the other side to help him.

"I can do it," he told her flatly, refusing to look at her.

Ignoring him, she started gathering several of the files into her arms and that's when Elliot reached out and placed his hands over hers, eyes giving a stern warning for her to leave him alone so he could do it himself. "I'm just trying to help," she said in a low voice, a pitch of sadness freely mixed with determination in her tone.

"I don't need your help. Just like you didn't need mine," he replied, coldly.

Olivia felt her chest heave slightly and she carefully lowered the files back onto the floor, her eyes still fixed on his. "You should have come to me, Elliot..." she painfully whispered to him, her voice shaking as she willed herself over and over again to not cry.

"I was trying to protect you."

She shook her head slightly, "I'm not some little kid...I don't need protecting."

There was a pause of silence and Elliot swallowed hard, "Do you really believe that badge and gun is going to protect you from every scumbag out there?"

"No!" she whispered back, her voice a little louder.

"He would have killed you, I was doing what I thought was right..."

She closed her eyes momentarily, before opening them once more and she looked directly at him. "You didn't trust me," she swallowed, her will power fading as a tear shed from her right eye and slowly streamed down her cheek.

"I did. And I do..." he replied, reaching out and gently wiping the tear from her chin. "I wasn't doing it to question you, or your ability to do your job...I was..."

Olivia felt another tear well up in her eye and find it's way down her cheek, this time falling against Elliot's hand where it still sat, gently touching the side of her face. No words came as she closed her eyes against his tender touch, heart aching, her mind begging with the rest of her to not cry. To not show him how weak she really was. But it didn't work and she quickly felt tear after tear flooding her eyes and streaming down her face.

"Hey, it's okay..." his voice gentle, caring, but she pulled away from him, immediately standing up and staring back at him where he now stood in front of her. "Olivia, it's okay to cry..."

She shook her head, angrily, "No! Don't...don't you dare!" she shouted at him. Even though she could see him pleading with her with his eyes, she pushed past him and took off out of the squad room.

Elliot stood there facing the far wall, one hand holding onto a selection of files, the other buried deep in the pocket of his pants as he started to wonder in his mind what exactly it was he could do right for her. _Ever._

* * * * * *

Olivia had just gone out the front of the precinct when the unpredictable stormy weather of New York City came pouring down from up above. She didn't care though, she'd rather be anywhere but near Elliot Stabler. She cursed in her mind, anger at him flooding up through her as she started walking.

She didn't even stop, not once, just kept on walking until she was a long way away from the precinct, hell she didn't know where exactly she was. The buildings around her were familiar; hell she took this route several times before, almost weekly in her job. Then suddenly, there was another wave of anger, frustration and humility rushing over her, she hated it, wanted it to just leave her alone, but it wouldn't. So she walked faster as more tears were shed, sob after sob coming. _Why don't you just leave me alone!? _she screamed at the tears, at the sobbing. But it didn't work.

And that's when suddenly she felt a blow to her right hip and she was sent to the ground. Every part of her hurt all over, her stomach, back, legs, arms, neck, head...her vision started to blur as she tried to move but couldn't, her body feeling like it was trapped.

"Someone call 9-1-1!!!" a woman shouted.

Then came the sound of a car door opening and a man frantically screaming out, "She wasn't looking, I swear to God she wasn't looking..." the man cried, his voice trembling and all Olivia could think about was what in hell had just happened, why she recognized the voice. Her body was telling her she was hit by something, a car, maybe a van, small truck...her mind couldn't process the thought, couldn't bring her to do anything but lie there on her back staring up at the sky as the rain came down on her. Everything fading in and out, noises, pictures, none of it seeming real as she felt the concussion strip the last of her strength and her eyes drifted shut, everything seemingly ceasing.

* * * * * *

**A half hour earlier  
Locker Room of the 55th Precinct  
**

**Around 2.50pm**

Officer Faith Yokas stood in front of the mirror and basin on the wall just behind her partner, Maurice Boscorelli's locker. She was biting down on her red toothbrush, her hands otherwise busy as she tied her shoulder length strawberry blonde hair up in a bun. She had just finished when the locker room door opened and Bosco came waltzing in, whistling some tune or another. "Hey Boz..." she said to him, looking in the mirror and watching as he flashed one of his pearly white smiles in her direction before he turned to his locker and, after unlocking it, pulled it open to get into his uniform.

Faith was busy scrubbing her lower teeth when the reflection of her partner in the mirror caught her attention. His auburn hair was tousled, as if not yet brushed, and he was stripping from his jeans into his boxers, before proceeding to pull the T-shirt he wore off over his head.

She stared for a moment longer when she realized she was gawking. Quickly peeling her eyes away from him, she continued brushing her teeth, her face burning red.

"Where's Sullivan and Davis today?" Bosco asked as he pulled on his uniform pants and started to fasten the zip and buckle on his belt.

"I don't know..." she replied, leaning over the basin and spitting out the toothpaste before cleaning the toothbrush and rinsing her mouth one last time with a handful of water. "I think Sarge said something about them working doubles last night, maybe they took today off."

"Maybe," he mumbled.

Faith once again diverted her attention to Bosco's reflection, her eyes scanning every inch of his muscular back. Closing her eyes tight, she shook her head, mentally reprimanding herself for gawking. She had almost completely controlled the urge in her to open her eyes and stare again when she felt a hand on her shoulder and she jumped, eyes wide open to find Bosco standing there, huge grin on his face. "What?" she quickly asked him, her face reddening with embarrassment.

"Nothing," he said back, and she knew he was resisting an urge of his own. Only his was the urge to not laugh at her. "Hey, you okay today, you look kinda pale...I mean, aside from those rosy red cheeks of yours," he replied, winking at her.

"I ah, yeah...I'm good..." she flatly lied, "Just didn't sleep much last night."

"Ah," he nodded, smiling once more. "Hey, I uh...I never thanked you."

Her brow creased, "For what?"

"Covering my ass, if you hadn't stuck up for me I could be in a world of mess right now..." he replied, looking down at the ground. "I could be fired, if it weren't for you."

Faith smiled faintly, "Anytime. You would have done the same for me."

"Yeah," he replied, nodding, finally bringing his eyes up to hold her gaze. "Thanks the same though, you saved my life, my career...I owe you, more than I can ever repay."

"Like I said Boz, anytime," she said back just as the door to the locker room opened and Sergeant Jason Christopher peered in, frown on his face.

"Roll call," the red headed man told them flatly, glaring at Bosco before stepping away from the door and walking away.

"I really hate that guy," Bosco shook his head, speaking through clenched teeth. "Someone oughta..."

"Oughta what?" Faith asked, curious as she took her toothbrush back over to her locker and placed it inside of it before closing the door and fastening the padlock. She was half surprised that he hadn't finished what he was saying when she went back over to the bench in front of his locker where he was fastening the straps of his bullet proof vest. "Someone oughta what, Boz?"

"Kick his sorry ass," Bosco replied, flashing a grin in her direction and making her laugh slightly. "You go ahead, I'll catch up in a few."

"Okay," she nodded, then headed out of the locker room.

* * * * * *

**Roll Call  
Shortly afterward**

"...we want to catch this guy," Lieutenant Swersky continued, "So if you see him, bring him in," he informed the gang, when Sergeant Christopher stepped up to him and whispered something in his ear. Swersky nodded, then turned back to the officers seated at their desks. "That's it, you all have your sector assignments. Officer Yokas, I'd like you to hang back, everyone else...dismissed."

After all the other officers but Faith and Bosco had left, Faith walked over to the Lieutenant and Sergeant Christopher, brow creasing, "Sir?" she quizzically asked. "What's this about?"

Swersky didn't reply, instead he looked over at Bosco who was standing a few feet behind Faith. "Bosco, you can go."

"I'd really prefer him to stay, thanks," Faith said, her voice flat and the Lieutenant nodded.

"We got a call just a few minutes ago, your husband...he was involved in a vehicular accident."

She stared at him, "What? Oh my...what happened? Is he okay?"

Swersky nodded, "He's fine, he's down at the One-Six."

Her brow creased, "What? Why?"

Christopher stepped up, clearing his throat slightly. "Yokas, your husband...he was arrested after he hit a pedestrian...the officers down at the One-Six have charged him with driving with an excess alcohol limit, reckless driving, and negligence with a motor vehicle causing bodily harm."

Faith closed her eyes and shook her head, hoping beyond hope that they'd arrested the wrong Fred Yokas and thought it was her husband. "No, Fred, he...he doesn't drink. There has to be some kind of mistake."

"I'm sorry," Swersky told her, "He asked for you by name." There was a pause of silence as he looked in Bosco's direction, "I've given you the next two hours free, take her down there?"

"Yes sir," Bosco replied, stepping over and placing his hand on Faith's shoulder, a shocked expression on her face.

* * * * * *

**16th Precinct  
Special Victims Unit  
A little later**

Elliot sat at his desk, his eyes glancing up at the clock on the far wall every few minutes, wondering where Olivia had gotten to. She hadn't officially signed out of work, so he knew she had every intention of returning, whenever that would be. He had just returned to writing his final report for the day before being able to get back to his normal duties outside of the squad room when his cellular rang. Pulling it out of his pocket, he flipped the casing open and pressed the 'Talk' button. "Stabler..." he said into it as he pressed the phone to his ear. There was a moment's silence and he let out a sigh. "Can we talk about this later? No...no I won't discuss this over the phone...you're being ridiculous...oh for...no, no you listen to me, don't you accuse me! I was trying to help a friend...what the hell is that supposed to mean!?" But the other end went suddenly dead and he angrily turned the phone off, running his hand over his head to try figure it all out.

"You can't do this to me..." he muttered under his breath when the cell phone rang again. "Honey?" he said into it, but it wasn't his wife on the other end this time. There was a long silence, painfully long and he looked over at his partners seat. "When? Is she...is she okay?" He was silent again as the woman on the other end replied with no uncertainty, 'It's too soon to say at this time...' 

He was quiet for another long moment, this time longer as the woman explained how a man had been arrested in connection to the accident. "Okay, thank you, I'll be right there."

After closing the casing on his phone, he pushed his chair out from under him and stood up, gathering his overcoat as he did so and headed out of the squad room wordlessly as he headed to the holding cell down the hall. It seemed to take an eternity before he came to the room where the man responsible for his partner being in hospital was being held. Two officers were sitting in the room filling out a report as Elliot walked in, headed straight for the holding cell where the man sat, eyes glazed and red as he stared back at the Detective. 

"You son of a bitch..." Elliot stammered, "You selfish son of a bitch!"

"Detective Stabler?" One of the officers in the room said, rising from his chair and walking over to him.

Holding a deep glare against the man in the cell, Elliot turned to the officer, Rick Steinburg. 

"How...in hell, did this happen?" he demanded.

Officer Steinburg nodded over toward the man in the cell, "He was driving with an excess alcohol limit, hit your partner as she crossed the street. Witnesses say he deliberately drove out when he saw her walking out from the footpath."

"That's a lie!" The man hollered, placing both hands on the top of his head as he stood there, "She walked out in front of me!"

"Why don't you just shut the hell up!?" Elliot shouted back at the balding man, "If I wanted your statement, I would have asked for it!" Angered, he released his hands from the fists they'd formed at his sides and he turned back to the officer next to him. "How many witnesses?"

"Seven," Steinburg replied. "One witness, the man in the car next to his delivery truck said he overheard him shouting obscenities at Detective Benson."

"Bastard," Elliot cursed, turning to the man once more. He went to yell at the man, show him exactly how angry he was when he heard a woman clearing her throat behind him, and he swung around.

"Would someone kindly tell me what's going on..." the uniformed officer standing there asked, her nametag reading 'Yokas'. Her partner stood at her other side, his nametag reading 'Boscorelli'. Officer Yokas walked over to the cell where the man inside was, disbelief and anger in her eyes as she shook her head at him.

Elliot let out a breath, turning to the woman, "This your husband? " He asked, she nodded without hesitation, looking back at him when he spoke to her. "Well, your *husband* deliberately ran down my partner."

* * * * * *

Faith stood there, looking back at the detective. "Why would he deliberately run down your partner, Detective...?"

"Because he's a moron..." Bosco muttered at her side, she shot him a glare and he shut up.

"Stabler," Elliot replied, "Your husband was the prime suspect in a rape case my partner and I worked six years ago. I'd say revenge was why he ran her down."

Faith felt her face drain of all color, her arms and legs growing weak as she stood there. Fred, a suspect in a rape case? Disbelieving what was just said, she turned to her husband, waiting for some kind of denial, waiting for something, but he cast his eyes down at the ground, refusing to look back at her. Her chest tightened and she turned back to Detective Stabler. "Fred wouldn't have done what you're saying," she said, trying to make herself believe that was true. She wanted to, he was her husband, the father of her children, but he was no rapist. "If it were true, he'd have a record, would have gone to jail."

Elliot nodded, "Right. But the case was closed after the woman said they'd been having an affair, that the rape charges were payback for his ending the relationship between them," he replied, clearing his throat slightly as he then looked over at Fred.

Faith looked over at her husband, too, he was shaking his head, remorse in his eyes as he looked back at her. "An affair, Fred!?" she demanded, "You bastard!!"

"One mistake," he told her back, but she shot him a glare and he shut up.

"Ma'am..." Officer Steinberg began, and she looked at the dark haired man. "Will you be posting bail?"

Faith laughed, and turned to her husband again, "You know what...after all the crap you put me through, and now to find out you had an affair, you *deserve* to stay in jail!" she shouted at him. Not caring about the pleading with her he was doing, she turned to Bosco, "Let's get out of here," she said, though not looking him in the eye as she headed out of the room.

Grinning, Bosco followed behind her. "Freddy, Freddy, Freddy..." he mumbled to himself, laughing.

* * * * * *

Slightly confused, yet not completely, Elliot let out a breath and turned back to Fred. "If my partner dies because of you, I'm gonna come back and kill you, do you understand!?" he asked, his teeth clenched.

Fred stared at him for a long moment, before he stepped backward in the cell, not saying a thing.

"Good," Elliot added, turning to Steinberg once again. "If he says anything, shoot him," he said, voice serious, he then walked out of the room.

* * * * * *


	2. Part Two

Title: Walking by A Dream (2/3)  
Author: Demelza  
Email: demelza81@yahoo.co.nz  
Disclaimer: Special Victims Unit and Third Watch belong to NBC and their other owners. No infringements of these copyrights are intended, and are used here without permission. All original characters are the author's creation, and may be freely used.  
Category: Olivia/Elliot, Bosco/Faith...shipperness, angst, shipperness, angst..etc,.  
Rating: R  
Warnings: Deals with child abuse and rape. Violence and some language.  
Author's Notes: This is my first ever SVU FanFic! Set directly after the second episode of the Third Season of the show.  
Author's Notes #2: This story is actually a crossover with Special Victims Unit AND Third Watch, I decided to write it after above mentioned Season Three episode of SVU. This story is set a few days after the events of that episode (and its tearjerker ending). Working as best I can with the Third Watch side of things, this story is set just after the episode 'Childhood Memories' (this isn't quite accurate, I know, but that's what I've decided to write it after). Spoilers up to and including these episodes. ALL events AFTER these episodes never happened in this fic. =)  
Dedication: My thanks go out to everyone for all their wonderful feedback and support for this story! 

"You were pretty cool in there," Bosco commented, glancing sideways at Faith where she was standing a few feet away, staring back at him. He couldn't figure out the expression on her face, but knew it was a mixture of anger and shock. 

There was a moment's silence. 

"I just...I can't believe he did this...you know?" she said back, shaking her head. She really couldn't believe what she'd been told in there by the Detective. Firstly the affair, the rape charges, and then his running over the woman that had investigated that very rape case. 

"He's a drunk," Bosco coolly told her, stating the truth. 

Faith looked at him, longer this time. "Was a drunk, Boz. He quit."

He stared at her, "Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, maybe you'll believe it," he said, hooking his right thumb through the loop on his belt, "Cos, you'd have to be blind to not smell the alcohol that was on his breath and clothing, right?" 

"Blind?" she questioned, completely ignoring the other parts of his statement. 

Bosco shrugged slightly, "Is there a word for someone who can't smell?"

Silence again.

"Who cares," Faith said, shaking her head as she tried to resist the urge to roll her eyes. 

"You brought it up." 

Not able to hold back, Faith rolled her eyes. "We need to go hassle someone," she muttered, glancing back over at her partner. He wore a mile wide childlike grin on his face and her eyes narrowed slightly, "Just get in the damn squad, Bosco," she ordered, marching round to the driver's side of the squad car before climbing in. 

"We just had to have a bad start to our shift," Bosco mumbled to himself, before pushing himself away from the hood of the car and walking round to the passenger door. After he climbed in, he closed the door and glanced over at Faith. She had her hand on the ignition, about to start the squad when she let out a sigh, instantly sitting back in her seat and resting her face in her hand as she propped her elbow up on the door for support. He wanted to say something, hell he had half a dozen really good smart assed remarks to make about Fred, but he didn't want to piss her off. If there was one thing she needed right now, it was a friend. Someone to talk to. And as much as he hated to hear about what Fred had done, this time was different, this time Fred had done the dirty and Faith would need help to pick up the pieces. And why not him? They were friends, weren't they? 

"You want to talk about it?" he found himself quietly asking, surprised when she met his gaze and smiled faintly, before slowly shaking her head. "Well, if you need to..." 

"I know, thanks..." Faith replied, smiling a little bit more. "I'm going to sort this one out, don't you worry," she said, her voice fading as she turned her attention to the ignition and turned it over. 

* * * * * * 

After leaving the sixteenth precinct, Elliot quickly made his way to Angel of Mercy on the fastest route he knew. He made it to the E.R on record time, using the perks of being a New York City Police Officer to get through all the red lights on his way. His first stop was the main registration desk of the hospital.

"Detective Stabler," he told the nurse behind the desk, puffing as he tried to catch his breath from the run across the parking lot. "Olivia Benson, she was brought in here a short time ago..." he said, and the nurse gave him a weird look. "She's my partner," he explained, "Can I see her?" 

The nursed slowly nodded, "Sure hon, cubicle four. Second on your left," she said, motioning to the corridors leading down the left side of the emergency room. 

"Thank you," Elliot quickly said, rushing down the corridor until he reached the room where Olivia was. He stopped before entering the room, mentally preparing himself, or at least as best he could before taking those steps inside. He stood there in the doorway, his heart suddenly started racing fast in his chest, not in fear, but relief. Olivia was resting soundly in the hospital bed, only two tubes connected to her, one was for the drip in the back of her right hand, while the other went to her nose. The oxygen line. There were two machines, one on either side of her, and in that moment as he looked inside he didn't care what they were for, just glad they were beeping soundly. He felt sad even more though, when he took in the sight of her right arm, set in a white cast at her side, there were several cuts on her face, especially down the left side, along with a lot of swelling and bruising. 

He slowly took a few small steps into the room and quietly pulled the chair at his right over to the bed so he was sitting right beside her now. He swallowed hard as he reached over and took her hand in his, "I'm so sorry Olivia..." he whispered, hating himself, knowing that if he hadn't requested that damn detail none of this would have been happening now. He instantly held his breath as he watched her eyelids flutter open and she turned her head to look at him. His eyes focusing on hers, a beautiful rich brown. "Hey..." he said, gently caressing her hand with his thumb. 

"Elliot..." Olivia began, her voice scratchy. 

"Shhhh...it's okay..." 

She wet her lips, shaking her head, "It's not...your, fault." 

"Yes, yes it is..." he told her, his voice shaking as he looked at her. 

"I was angry..." she whispered back, eyes closing for a moment as she wet her lips again. She looked at him once more, about to say something when he shook his head, gently touching the side of her face. 

"It's my fault you were angry, I should have trusted you..." 

She smiled faintly, "You said that...in your note..." 

Elliot smiled back, "You got it?" he asked, she nodded. "Good." 

There was a small pause of silence. 

"We arrested the guy who ran you down. Fred Yokas." 

She looked at him, "Why do I know that name?" she quietly asked. 

"Rape case, six years back. Charges were dropped," he replied. 

Olivia let out a short laugh, before moving her right shoulder just slightly and letting out a soft moan, glad she'd gotten out of the uncomfortable position she'd been lying in. "Doesn't seem to be my month," she then said, her voice soft, "Guys I've arrested coming back for revenge." 

Another pause of silence. 

"No, it doesn't." Elliot replied, "I'm sorry partner." 

She looked at him, could see pain in his eyes, even well after he was giving her his damned best attempt to hide it from her. But they were partners, friends. Best friends. She knew him better than anyone else, and even in her state, she knew something other than their rough patch this past week, and today's accident, was on his mind. "What's wrong?" 

He looked at her, confused. "Nothing." 

"You've got that...look..." 

His brow creased, "What look?" 

"You had another fight?" she asked, but he just stared at her, as if wondering what she was on about. "You and Kathy." 

Silence again. 

"Yeah...last night..." he finally confessed. 

Olivia tilted her head to her left, leaning against the pillow more, "What about?" 

Elliot's gaze dropped to where he had his hand over hers, he was about to tell her how they'd been fighting over his working too many hours, not spending time with the kids. Hell he wanted to tell her how Kathy was accusing him of cheating on her, but his finally telling her was thwarted when Olivia's Doctor came into the room and he instantly looked up at the young, bearded, Doctor Thomas. 

"Hi," Doctor Thomas said, his voice casual as he walked round to the other side of the bed, yellow folder in his hands as he looked down at Olivia, "How are you feeling?" 

Olivia smiled faintly, "Like a truck hit me." 

Doctor Thomas smiled, glancing over at Elliot, before turning his attention back to her. "Well, you were...a FedEx delivery truck. You've got a concussion, three fractured ribs, a fractured wrist and you also received a multitude of mild cuts and contusions, most of which are down your left side. All-in-all, I'd say you're pretty lucky to walk away with only minor injuries. Considering." 

Her eyebrows rose, and she looked at him as if confused, not quite believing what he'd just told her. "It doesn't hurt that bad..." she told him. 

He shrugged with his right shoulder, "Well, we've pumped you full of morphine, you probably won't start to feel anything for another couple of hours. When you do, just ask the nurse and she can give you another shot." 

Olivia let out a sigh, "When can I go home?" 

"We'd like to keep you in for the night, keep an eye on your concussion, make sure nothing else pops up." 

"I can't go home tonight?" 

Doctor Thomas let out a breath, "If you want to, you can. But we'd really prefer you stay in for the night." 

She nodded, "Okay." 

He smiled, "Do you have any questions?" She shook her head. "Okay, well, I'll be back to see you when you're up in the ward." 

"Thank you," Elliot called after him as he left the room, the young doctor didn't reply as he went to the room across the hall. He turned back to Olivia, she had that really worried look on her face. "Hey, it's going to be okay." 

A tear streamed down her cheek and she instantly swallowed, "Can you...stay with me?" 

He nodded, "Of course...I'll be by your side, the entire time. I promise." 

She smiled faintly, but it only made more tears come and she started to cry. 

"Hey..." Elliot quickly said, sitting right on the edge of his chair as he touched Olivia's face, "It's okay...it's okay, 'livia," he whispered, gently caressing her cheek with his thumb. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise..." 

* * * * * * 

The radio crackled and beeped as the call came in from dispatch. "55-Charlie, respond to a domestic dispute at 113 on 23rd." 

"10-4, 113 on 23rd." Came Officer John Sullivan's voice on the other end, and Bosco turned to look at his partner, she had that stern look on her face whenever she was seriously pissed. Her hands were tightly gripping the steering wheel, and she looked like she was about to explode in a rage at any given moment. 

He wished things were different for her, wished that Fred hadn't been such a jackass and did what he had. But, like they said, everything always happened for a reason. His mind was almost all trapped in thought, when suddenly, he caught glimpse of a guy about five foot seven in a green hunter's jacket standing up against a wire fence dealing to two young boys, they both couldn't have been any older than fourteen. "Faith!" he exclaimed, slapping her in the arm to get her attention, he then pointed over at the guy. "Stop..." he ordered, and she did. He opened his door and jumped out, slamming it shut behind him, and started his walk across the road. The guy must have seen him, and he started running in the opposite direction. 

Bosco picked up his pace and started racing after the guy, he couldn't have been more than ten feet behind him, when he hear the sirens from the squad as Faith went ahead to stop the guy. Too bad for the moron they were chasing, when Faith pulled the car up on the footpath and the guy went running into it, flying head first over the hood, though he somehow twisted his body around and landed on his feet at the other side, continuing his run. 

Faith slammed the car in reverse, and Bosco had gained at least five feet distance on the guy at this point. The chase went on until they reached the end of the block and Faith had the squad already parked there, her gun drawn on the guy. He stopped suddenly, raising his hands in the air. 

Bosco slowed his pace down the moment he was up behind the guy, and slammed him forward, up against the squad. "Jagoff!" he shouted, making the guy part his legs as he started searching his pockets. 

Faith holstered her weapon, and was up behind the guy as he tried moving away from Bosco, screaming that he'd done nothing wrong. "Just shut up!" she shouted, pushing him face forward into the hood of the car and held her hands on his shoulder blades to stop him from moving. She glanced over at her partner, and a grin quickly came on his face.

"Jackpot!" he shouted, grabbing the guy by the back of his collar and pulling backward enough so he could hold the four bags of dope up in front of him. "Your sorry ass is under arrest!" 

"It's not mine!" the guy shouted back. 

Faith shoved him down again, removing her handcuffs from her belt while Bosco pulled the guy's arms up behind his back. She fastened a cuff on each of the guy's wrists, before grabbing him by his pony tail and pulled him away from the squad. 

There was a shocked exclamation exchanged between the two officers, and Bosco smacked him upside the back of his head. "You put blood on my squad!" he growled, shoving him into Faith so she could lead him to the rear door on this side of the squad. 

She opened the door and shoved the guy inside, not even bothering to make him duck his head as he went in. She slammed the door shut and turned to Bosco, a stupid grin on his face. "That was fun," he said, raising his eyebrows at her as he walked past, headed for the other side of the squad to get in the passenger side. 

Faith shook her head, though she was admitting to herself it had been fun, it was a good break from thinking about what that husband of hers had done. Feeling suddenly pissed off all over again she opened the drivers door and climbed in. 

* * * * * * 

Special Victims Unit  
16th Precinct 

Munch, his dark sunglasses on, stood next to his partner, Fin, while they talked with one of the homicide detectives about a case they'd worked the week prior. The homicide detective walked away, and Munch was about ready to say something to his partner when a guy dressed in a fancy royal blue suit walked up to them, his tie loosened, his sandy hair brushed back in that business like manner. He looked at Munch directly, an unmistakable fear in his brown eyes. "Can I help you?" Munch asked, the guy nodded, taking a photograph out of his inside jacket pocket. The detective took the photo from the man, looked at it, before showing it to his partner. It was of Bethany Tibbits. A thirteen year old girl that had been missing for three months. Munch turned to the man again, "Where did you get this picture?" he asked. 

The guy opened his mouth, then shook his head as he shrugged. "I...she's in my car," he said, his voice rough as he spoke. He cleared his throat, but didn't say anything else. 

Both detectives exchanged a look, before turning back to the guy. 

* * * * * * 

District Attorney Alex Cabot looked at Munch and Fin from where she sat on the edge of Captain Cragen's desk while he sat in his chair, also looking at them. "He just came in?" Alex asked after a silent moment. 

"Yeah. Said the girl was in his car," Fin replied. 

Alex looked at them, a sigh coming from her. 

"She was murdered," Captain Cragen stated, a certain willingness, or want, to believe that it wasn't true came across in his voice. "The coroner's examining the body now, but, from what she said, Bethany was sexually molested and raped repeatedly, and killed within the last twenty-four hours." 

"Bastard," Alex muttered to herself, getting a look from each of the three men. She apologized, clearing her throat just slightly. "See if you can find out what he was doing with her in his car." 

Munch and Fin both nodded, before heading out of the office. 

She turned to Cragen, who wore a sympathetic look on his face. "She was only fourteen," she said, her voice no louder than a whisper. 

"I know," he replied, looking at her. 

* * * * * * 

The ride back to the station house was a silent one, the guy in the back was rocking back and forth where he sat on the seat, his eyes were closed, and their was a distinct moaning coming from him. If that guy doesn't shut the hell up... Faith thought, frustrated. She glanced in the rear view mirror, the guy had partially opened his eyes at this point and was looking out the side window. "I'm...I'm gonna puke..." he moaned. 

"Oh no you won't!" Faith warned, still looking at him in the rear view mirror. 

Too late. 

A groan of pain, and the sudden noise of slosh falling onto the carpet in the back of the squad filled both officers' ears and Faith pulled the car to a screaming halt. The guy went flying forward, his face slamming up against the railing dividing the front from the back. The disgusting vile smell of his breath filled the front of the squad and he puked again. 

Faith didn't even take a moment to think before she hurriedly opened her door and climbed out of the squad car. She removed her jacket, feeling the weight of the vomit against her back and threw it to the ground as she tried herself not to be sick. "That son of a...!" she exclaimed, when she felt a hand on her shoulder. 

She turned around suddenly to see Bosco standing there. "Faith, just...calm down, before you do something drastic..." he pleaded with her. 

Faith shook her head at him, "Something drastic!?" she exclaimed, taking in a breath as she stared at him, shaking her head once more. "He puked all over me!" she screamed, pointing angrily at the squad. 

"Which means, now we've gotta get him to the hospital." 

She let out an angered breath, looking past him and at the guy who looked like he could, at any moment, be sick everywhere all over again. "Great!" she said, throwing her hands in the air. 

* * * * * * 

A few hours later 

Munch sat with his back against the double sided mirror in the interview room. Barry Lancaster sat in the seat opposite him picking at the thumbnail of his right hand with his index finger, not saying anything to neither him or his partner, Fin. He let out an exasperated sigh, leaning forward on his chair. "Are you going to tell us how Bethany got in your car?" he asked, Barry looked at him for a brief moment before starting to pick at his thumbnail again, eyes cast downward. "She was molested, raped and murdered...why don't you tell us how this happened?" 

There was another long silence. Only this time, Barry looked up at him with a sadistic gleam in his eyes. "Oh, I'll tell you..." he begun, his voice deep and dark. "When hell freezes over!" 

Munch cleared his throat, "Mr Lancaster..." 

Barry laughed, shaking his head at the detective. He planted his hands out in front of him, palms facing down as he glared at him. "Who the fuck said you could talk to me, dipshit!" 

"Why don't you watch your mouth," Fin told him, but Barry shot him a sinister glare. 

"Awww...." Barry laughed, "Boyfriend gotta stick up for you, huh?" he asked Munch, shaking his head. He reclined in his seat before running both hands through his hair. "Aw shit..." he exclaimed, exceedingly pissed off. "That whiney little ass brought me here, didn't he? Fuck, I knew he couldn't keep a god-damned secret!" 

"What secret?" Munch asked, feeling frustrated. 

Barry stared at him, rolling his eyes. "It's like talking to a fucking parrot..." he mumbled. "Shut up!" he shouted, crossing his arms across his chest. "I'm not telling either of you a fucking thing...I want to talk to my lawyer." 

Munch and Fin exchanged a look, before both rose to their feet and walked out of the room, closing the door behind them. They were instantly met by Captain Cragen and Alex, both wore a confused expression on their faces that matched that of the two detectives. "This guy's insane," Fin commented, shaking his head. He glanced sideways at Munch, who was looking at the Captain. 

"He's got definite split personality," Psychologist, George Huang said from the far side of the room. All four of them turned to him and watched as he casually walked over, his left hand in his pocket. 

"His lawyer will probably go for an insanity plea," Fin said, while looking back at, George. 

Alex looked at them both, "We don't even know what his connection is with the little girl. Or for that matter, if he was the one that killed her." 

Cragen looked at her, "When he came in, he agreed to a DNA test...I'll get a rush on those results." 

She nodded, "Good." 

* * * * * * 

Bosco stood leaning up against the hood of the squad car, finishing the last mouthful of his burrito, while he watched Faith walk back over from the dumpster where she'd thrown in both their burrito wrappers, and empty coffee cups. 

Pushing himself away from the car, Bosco cleared his throat, "You feeling any better now?" he asked, running his tongue round inside his mouth to get rid of the food stuck to the roof of his mouth. 

Faith looked back at him, "After riding around with that smell in the back of the squad?" she asked, "You've got to be kidding," she stated, stepping over so there was only a few feet distance between them now. 

He shrugged slightly, "Not that." 

She looked at him again, eyes focused on his, "Oh, you mean with Fred?" He shrugged slightly again, before nodding. "He can go drop dead for all I cared." 

"You don't really mean that," Bosco said, faint smile on his face, to which quickly changed when she stared at him with a frozen glare. "Okay, you do..." 

"You're damn right," Faith said, her voice firm. 

"So, what are you going to do about it?" 

She stared at him again, before her eyes narrowed just slightly as she thought, "I don't know...yet." 

* * * * * * 

Watching as Olivia took in slow, even breaths, and let them back out, Elliot was glad that after the orderly wheeled her up to her ward she had finally fallen back asleep. She needs her rest to regain her strength, he told himself, when his cellular phone begun ringing in his coat pocket. He quickly rose to his feet and went out of the room, pulling the phone out of his pocket and turned it on. He placed it to his ear, "Stabler..." he said into it, though quickly letting out a sigh as he heard his wife's voice on the other end, demanding to know where he was, and why he wasn't down at the station when she'd called in to see him. "I'm down at the hospital...because Olivia was...would you stop this already!?" he demanded, sighing angrily as he turned back around, watching Olivia stir in her bed, her face contorting as she grimaced in pain. "Kathy, would you listen to yourself!?" he demanded again, this time keeping his voice much lower, not wanting to wake his partner up, not after she'd just gotten asleep. "No, I will not answer that...because you're being ridiculous. Oh for crying out loud...Kathy...Kathy..." he warned, but there was a loud beep on the other end and he pressed the off button. He let out a long, exasperated sigh, before casting a glance down at the ground. 

As he stared at the patterned tiles, his mind trailed off, away from the sound of his wife screaming at him, to vivid pictures of Fred Yokas that day he and Olivia had questioned him. Then came the sounds, his partners voice, the same assertive tone she used when interviewing guys like him. The same general questions they always asked, where were you at the time of the rape, do you have an alibi, and so on. But then things suddenly changed. 

"You have no business being a cop!" Fred Yokas screamed at Olivia from where he sat in the chair opposite Elliot. He was glaring at her where she stood at the left side of the table. 

Olivia, her shoulder length hair tied back in a ponytail, stared back at him. "You know what I think your problem is?" she asked, keeping her voice cool, though with that assertive tone. "You're afraid...that's why you think women shouldn't be cops...because you're wife's one!" she told him back, shaking her head. "And it just ticks you off because she's the one bringing home the paycheque...oh, and not to mention the fact you're a bald, lazy, fat, unemployed, scumbag rapist." she added, getting a chuckle from her partner. She leant over the table, her hands firmly set on the surface as she stared at Fred. "The type of lowlife your wife locks up every day...and, it's funny...why she's not here to defend you...maybe you'd like Elliot or me to ring her up, get her to come pick you up, hmm?" 

"You stupid cow!" Fred shouted, lunging after her, but Elliot was quick to stop him and soon had the bastard face forward on the ground, gripping the guy's hands tightly behind his back. 

The memory fading from his mind, Elliot slid the phone back into his coat pocket and went back into the room where Olivia was. He paused, watching as she moved her head from side to side as she slept. Her face was scrunched up, and she was calling his name. He quickly went over to her, sitting down on the chair as he took her hand in his. "It's okay...I'm here..." he gently tried to soothe her. She quickly relaxed at his voice, and he sighed relief, glad her nightmare was over. But then a rush of thoughts came over him, her nightmare wasn't over. Not the one she was living in. "I'm sorry, 'livia..." he whispered, reaching over and gently touched her face, just below where the graze was on her cheekbone. "This is all my fault...it happened because of me...I'm so sorry."


End file.
